While the ceremony is the heart of the wedding and the reason to gather, the reception is the time to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than with some unexpected reception ideas?
Whether your wedding is small and intimate at a local restaurant or a large multi hour event for 300 guests with white glove service, the decorative touches and activities planned for the evening are what makes your wedding memorable.
Here are 6 unexpected reception ideas that may spark your creativity.
1) Centerpieces at guest tables can be gorgeous bowls of seasonal fruits and vegetables instead of flowers. For a Summer wedding have bowls of seasonal greens including small melons, pears, apples, grapes, and avocados. Fall weddings can call on red apples, tomatoes, pomegranates, grapes, peppers and pears. If yellow and orange are your color scheme, fill bowls with grapefruits, lemons, pears, yellow tomatoes, squash, and gourds. Your guests can be encouraged to eat the centerpieces or take the fruits home with them.
2) You can also use fresh fruit as place cards.
3) If you have planned a cocktail hour to precede your dinner, consider renting a popcorn cart. It makes perfect nibbling while sipping cocktails and waiting for the wedding party to appear. Order striped containers with or without your wedding date imprinted and add matching napkins. For even more variety, consider offering a variety of popcorn toppings like cheeses, sugars, spices, or sea salt flavored butter.
4) If space is limited and you don’t have a separate area for the cocktail hour, provide trays of hors d’oeuvres at each guest table.
5) If you are a candy fan, consider centerpieces that contain “flowers” of lollipops, suckers, small candies on a stick, and cake pops (frosted cakes on a stick). Individually wrapped chocolate truffles or chocolate molds made especially for you add a note of elegance to the festivities.
6) If you want a wedding by the sea but are no where near any body of water, consider creating a south sea atmosphere with a backdrop of ocean waves, or palm trees around a lagoon. Backdrops can be paper or fabric or a video presentation that flashes against a blank wall.
What unexpected reception ideas have you seen or are considering for your wedding? Let me know in the comments below.
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
Looking for fun ideas, or need help with your wedding plans?
Weddings From The Heart can help. Contact me today at jean@weddingsfromtheheart.net or by phone or text at 937-581-3647!
Photo credit of popcorn machine:
Steve Snodgrassphotopin
All other photos by Weddings From The Heart